Islamabad, April 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) A local court in Pakistan has refused to approve the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency’s (NCCIA) request for the physical remand of journalist Fakharur Rehman and sent him to jail on judicial remand, local media reported on Monday.
Rahman was arrested under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) on April 24. Rahman is one of the nine accused of disseminating “false and misleading information against state institutions” on social media platform X, as per an NCCIA first information report (FIR) dated April 20, Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported.
On Saturday, Rehman was presented before the court of District Magistrate Yasir Mahmood. Defence counsel Ahad Khokhar contended that the prosecution was unable to clearly mention the extent of Rehman's alleged role. He mentioned that the video in question was shared by thousands of social media users and asked why no action was taken against the original speaker. The lawyer questioned whether the investigation officer had recorded the statement of the cleric whose remarks were being referenced.
The lawyer said that Rehman had responded to the NCCIA notice issued on April 14, and he did not share any false information. He mentioned that the journalist had been cooperating with investigators and would come for a probe whenever needed. He opposed granting physical remand of Rehman, stating that the journalist's mobile phone had been confiscated and that no further recovery was pending.
The NCCIA prosecutor said that Rehman had admitted ownership of the post shared on social media, but he had not given the password to his mobile phone. The agency stated that further analysis of the mobile phone was needed and requested the court to grant physical remand for that purpose.
After hearing the arguments of both sides, the magistrate refused to grant physical remand and ordered that Rehman be sent to jail on judicial remand, Dawn reported.
The NCCIA had lodged the FIR under Section 20 (offences against the dignity of a natural person) and Section 26-A (dissemination of false and fake information) of Peca. According to the FIR, Rehman, journalist Sabir Shakir, anchorperson Moeed Pirzada, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jibran Ilyas, Rizwan Ahmed Khan, Syed Haider Raza Mehdi, Adil Farooq Raja and Aqil Hussain had allegedly, "with malafide intention and ulterior motives", shared "fake, false, misleading and misinterpreted information leading to hatred against government functionaries".
It mentioned that such content was likely shared to create panic, unrest and disorder among the people.
Earlier in February, Several international press freedom and human rights organisations wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, raising serious concerns over the continued deterioration of media freedom in Pakistan.
In a joint letter, the Committee to Protect Journalists, alongside 17 other organisations, highlighted that the recent legal and institutional developments, coupled with persistent failures to ensure accountability for attacks on journalists, have created a worsening environment for members of the media in Pakistan.
The group urged the Pakistani government to take immediate action to uphold Pakistan’s obligations under the Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantee freedom of expression and the press, and require protection of journalists from violence, intimidation, and unlawful interference.
The signatories noted that Pakistan’s press freedom situation, which was already challenging, has worsened since the adoption of the 27th constitutional amendment in November 2025.
“The amendment led to the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), a development that has coincided with a weakening of judicial oversight and accountability in cases involving attacks on the media. Rather than strengthening protections for journalists, these changes have contributed to a more restrictive and uncertain environment for independent journalism. Judicial inaction in high-profile murder cases has reinforced a pattern of impunity that continues to endanger the press,” the letter detailed.
“In the period following the amendment, journalists across Pakistan have faced increased legal harassment, intimidation, surveillance, regulatory scrutiny, and threats -- all of which have had a chilling effect on press freedom. At the same time, the persistent failure of authorities to ensure accountability for crimes against journalists has reinforced a pattern of impunity that continues to place media workers at serious risk,” it added.
Source: IANS
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